Aprio Expands Philippine Presence With New Manila Office

Manila, Philippines — Aprio, the 24th largest business advisory and accounting firm in the U.S., has expanded its presence in the Philippines with the opening of its second office in Makati City.

Aprio's new office is located at KMC One Ayala Mall in Makati City, placing the company in Metro Manila's primary business district. It is designed to support Aprio Philippines' expanding workforce and enhanced service delivery, ensuring scalable capacity for future growth while providing a more accessible workspace for its over 100 employees in Metro Manila.

“Aprio Philippines' rapid expansion, showcased with our new, strategically located office in Makati City, underscores our commitment to both our global clients and our Philippine team. This growth reflects the increasing demand for international talent and for scalable, end-to-end service delivery across Aprio's global network. By investing in our local office, we are not just expanding capacity, but we are strengthening collaboration and positioning Aprio to lead the next era of global transformation for our clients," said Dave Kothari, Global Solutions Delivery Leader and Partner at Aprio.

Since opening its flagship office in Clark Global City in April 2022, Aprio has rapidly grown its workforce from 75 to 400 by year-end, recording an impressive 525% increase. Aprio Philippines' teams support services across tax, advisory, assurance, wealth management, and business operations, focusing on analytics, technology adoption, compliance modernization, and workflow optimization.

To learn more about Aprio Philippines, you may visit www.aprio.com/locations/philippines/ or its Facebook page.

Security Bank Foundation Donates New School Building to Antique National School

San Jose de Buenavista, Antique – More than 7,000 learners of Antique National School will now have access to safer and more conducive classrooms as the Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) turned over a newly built, two-storey, eight-classroom school building under its flagship Build a School, Build a Nation initiative.

For decades, the school has struggled with limited space, forcing eleven sections into makeshift rooms divided only by thin partitions. “Students and teachers alike have to compete with noise and distractions while trying to learn,” shared School Principal Roger Jomolo.

As an alumnus himself, Jomolo described the donation as deeply meaningful, “Security Bank is very, very generous. As a proud alumnus, it warms my heart to see them make Antique National School a better place to learn and to produce more young leaders in the future.”

The new building marks a major milestone for the school community. “This building expands our home and brings new hope—giving learners the space they need to focus, grow, and dream,” Jomolo added.

A classroom that restores hope

For students like Grade 11 learner Laica Shane Fernandez, the new classrooms carry even greater significance. Despite financial hardships and a devastating house fire that destroyed her school materials, Laica pushed forward—selling handmade polaroids and school supplies to continue her education.

"Kahit sunod-sunod ang pagsubok, lalo po akong naging motivated na mas sikapan pa ang aking pag-aaral upang mabawi namin kung ano man ang mga nawala sa amin,” Laica shared.

Even if the challenges come one after another, we become more motivated to work harder so we can recover what we lost. Now, with these new classrooms, I can focus on learning without distractions.

A commitment to education, one child at a time

During the ceremony, SBFI Chairman Rafael Simpao, Jr. reaffirmed the Foundation’s long-standing advocacy for education.

“We trust our actions show how serious we are in elevating the education of Filipino youth—one child at a time. Some may feel the country’s education challenges are overwhelming and that our efforts hardly make a difference. I disagree. There is power in persistent, persevering effort.”

To date, Security Bank Foundation has donated 877 classrooms for 150 schools across 91 cities and municipalities, helping alleviate overcrowding and improve learning conditions across the Philippines.

Converge Techco Shift Gains Pace as Global Business Unit Moves to Future-Forward Office

Manila, Philippines – Leading Philippine fiber internet and technology services provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is pushing forward in its evolution into a technology company as its corporate and large enterprise unit, Converge Global Business Group (GBG), relocates its operations from the Reliance IT Center in Pasig City, to a world-class, state-of-the-art facility in Asian Century Center in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City.

This strategic move is a pivotal step in the company's continuous growth, signifying an accelerated transition from a purely telco provider to a future-forward techco. The relocation strengthens the company's position in the highly competitive large-enterprise market and formalizes its serious commitment to aggressively expanding its services across the broader Southeast Asian technology landscape.

“BGC was strategically chosen for its strong advantages - including its reputation as a central business hub, close to where potential clients may be located - and at the same time, for its environment of growth and competition. BGC is where the young, talented workforce of multinational companies congregates and exchanges ideas. We want to expose our own tech-savvy employees to that habitat and imbibe a ‘global’ mindset when dealing with partners,” said Converge Co-Founder and President Maria Grace Uy.

The decision to place the Global Business Group's headquarters in this premier business district firmly positions Converge at the very heart of commerce. This central location will significantly enhance collaboration, driving faster innovation and comprehensive digital enablement for enterprise partners.

"This is an exciting new chapter in the transformation of Converge," added Grace Jarin-Castillo, Converge Global Business Group's newly minted Sales & Marketing Head. "By moving closer to the center of business in BGC, we are strategically positioned to better serve and connect with our clients in showcasing digital infrastructure and technology solutions, deepening engagements with our ecosystem of customers and partners. This modern, innovative hub also serves to empower our employees by providing a highly-connected professional environment conducive to growth and excellence."

The move to BGC is more than a change of address; it is a clear declaration of the company's commitment to the country's digital future. Converge stands at the cusp of a new era, dedicated to setting global standards for client service and delivering transformative solutions. This relocation powerfully underscores the company's readiness to propel the nation’s infrastructure and innovation forward, moving boldly from fiber to the future.

Exhibitors Report High-Quality Engagement as SMEs Seek Solutions at the 17th PHILSME Entrepreneur and Franchise Edition

Pasay City, Philippines — The 17th Philippine SME Business Expo and Conference (PHILSME) Entrepreneur and Franchise Edition, held November 28–29 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, drew 10,000 visitors, connecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with 180 brands offering business tools, technologies, franchise models, and growth solutions.

PHILSME CEO and Managing Director Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla led the event and shared:
“PHILSME is built for SMEs—to help them find solutions, partners, and opportunities that move them forward. The quality of engagement at the 17th edition reflects how intentional entrepreneurs have become in choosing the right tools for growth.”

Delivering the keynote address, DTI Assistant Secretary Grace Baluyan highlighted the scale of the enterprise sector: “MSMEs constitute nearly all business establishments in the country, with over 99% of registered enterprises belonging to the micro, small, and medium-enterprise category.”

A strong lineup of business mentors and industry practitioners led learning sessions throughout the event, including Francis Kong, Dean Pax Lapid, Jonathan Yabut, Myrna ‘Mommy Negosyo’ Natividad, Reymond ‘Boss RDR’ Delos Reyes, Kimberly ‘Kimilu’ Lu, and Kween Yasmin. Corporate leaders also shared essential perspectives, including Norman Cloyd B. Sebastian, Vice President, Sales Distribution Department – Marketing Division, Toyota Motor Philippines, who discussed SME mobility and operational scaling, and Joseph Jerome Francia, First Vice President and Head of Operations, GMA International, who headed the GMA Pinoy TV panel “From Overseas to Own Business: Empowering OFWs to Become Entrepreneurs,” providing practical views on transitioning from overseas employment into business ownership.

Two PHILSME community events also took place during the expo: the PHILSME Business Network New Members Awarding Ceremony and a focused Networking Night attended by PHILSME Network members, exhibitors, and sponsors.

Exhibitors reported that the 17th edition delivered exceptionally deep engagement, with SMEs taking time to analyze solution fit, explore implementation steps, and initiate early-stage partnership discussions. Many described this expo as one of the strongest PHILSME editions in terms of visitor preparedness and seriousness.

Supported by 19 sponsors, including Toyota Motor Philippines as Diamond Sponsor and Platinum Sponsors GCash for Business, Taho Story, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, Benchmark, and Canva, the expo registered strong business activity across sectors.

Momentum from the 17th edition has led many exhibitors to begin reserving their space for the 18th PHILSME on May 22–23, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Companies looking to tap into this demand and meet their revenue targets can secure exhibition slots at philsme.com/exhibit. To explore partnership and sponsorship opportunities, visit philsme.com.

Lenovo Philippines Champions AI Innovation with “AI Ready. Future Ready with Lenovo Yoga” Campaign

Lenovo Philippines is ushering in a new era of consumer technology with the launch of its campaign, “AI Ready. Future Ready with Lenovo Yoga,” designed to help users explore the full potential of AI-powered devices. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, Lenovo aims to empower individuals by giving them firsthand access to the advanced capabilities of its latest Lenovo Yoga Copilot+ PCs.

At the heart of this campaign is a focus on letting consumers experience AI—rather than simply hear about it. Through seamless feature discovery and hands-on exploration, users are encouraged to understand how AI can enhance productivity, creativity, and everyday digital tasks. Whether they are students, remote professionals, or content creators, consumers gain insights into how Lenovo Yoga devices can help them stay ahead in an increasingly fast-paced digital world.

One of the campaign’s standout elements is the interactive online quiz titled “What’s Your AI-dentity?” Far from a traditional quiz, this experience utilizes voice recognition, eye tracking, and other innovative technologies to evaluate users’ AI readiness. After completing the quiz, participants receive a personalized “AI Era” profile that reflects their strengths, habits, and opportunities in the age of artificial intelligence. Many users have shared their results online, helping spark wider conversations about AI’s role in everyday routines and digital lifestyles.

Lenovo brought the experience offline as well, hosting immersive on-ground activities at the Lenovo Experience Store in SM Megamall. Here, visitors were invited into a dedicated Future Ready area where they could test out AI features, interact with Lenovo Yoga devices, and take the AI-dentity quiz using cutting-edge tools. This in-person activation allowed consumers to gain a deeper appreciation of how AI functions in real time.

Adding a creative twist, Lenovo also hosted the Yoga Street Challenge at The Pop Up Katipunan. Inspired by modern creators and multitaskers, the challenge featured a series of fun, task-based activities that demonstrated AI-assisted capabilities. Participants had the chance to win exclusive Lenovo Yoga merchandise and special coupons, making the event both engaging and rewarding.

Through these activities, Lenovo Philippines is not just showcasing devices—it is educating the public on the future of digital innovation. The campaign highlights how Lenovo Yoga Copilot+ PCs help users work smarter, create faster, and stay future-ready in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.